Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries, 2026

July is the Spotlight on Graphic Novels over on Booklist. They do more than the average spotlight's worth of work here. Every year it is a must read. And the content here is library workers serving all ages of readers, some of these articles even cross age ranges. I have the intros to each article and the links for you to read below. Please pass this on to your colleagues in your library who serve youth and teens as well.

Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries, 2026

Why Are Comics Important? By AJ Dungo To All the Libraries I’ve Loved Before By Ashley Robin Franklin Bringing Graphic Novels and Manga to the Most Diverse County in Virginia: A Library System Educates with a Comics Convention By John Diaz and others Why graphic novels? To begin with, they are incredibly fun to read. They’re fast-paced. They’re colorful and dynamic, and they illustrate action for readers who struggle to visualize words. All these attributes feed into one of the most important aspects of graphic novels. Multiple studies have shown that the combination of artwork and text helps those with reading difficulties make better sense of words, context, and in the case of autism and dyslexia, sequencing. Discouraging children from reading graphic novels in favor of “real” books might be negatively impacting a struggling child’s ability to become a lifelong reader.‌ read more→ Everyday Queerness at the End of the World: Slice-of-Life Comics as Quiet Resistance By Kaci Wilson Long before Marvel’s Northstar famously came out quite literally swinging with the line “For while I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business—I am gay!” becoming the first openly gay superhero in mainstream comics, queer stories permeated the underground comix scene that began in the 1960s. Comix of this era not only rebelled against the restrictive 41 provisions of the Comics Code Authority by making visible identities and topics left out of mainstream comics publishing, but also expanded the notion of what comics could be. No longer were comics restricted to heteronormative stories of superheroes, detectives, and cowboys. New genres and narrative techniques arrived on the scene and were here to stay.‌ read more→ Genrefication of Graphic Novels: Making Comics More Accessible to Middle Grade Readers By Alexa Dumas One of the roles of a librarian—regardless of type—is to ensure accessibility to materials in the library space. For my diverse array of over 400 middle school students at Ronald B. Stafford Middle School in Plattsburgh (NY), I strive to create a comics collection that is a place for all my readers. The current collection includes 12,076 holdings (with almost 2,400 titles across graphic formats). Accessibility and student agency are key to establishing a functional middle school library space. I used those two principles to justify taking on the tough task of genrefying my collection.‌ read more→ Graphic Novel Book Clubs for Elementary and Middle Schoolers: A Case Study in Successful System-wide Collaboration By Dan Johnson I am a youth librarian for Midland Library, part of Multnomah County Library (MCL), a system of 19 libraries in the Portland, Oregon metro area. This past year, I hosted a year-long graphic-novel book club for fourth- and fifth-graders at my library, my second year participating in these monthly book clubs. This is a systemwide effort, in which youth librarians at various branches work together to put on this program throughout the system.‌ read more→ Horror Manga By Jillian Rudes and Gigi Murakami Horror manga has a complicated place in libraries and classrooms, and people often react with shock when I say that I teach horror. But in my twelfth-grade course, the focus is not on horror itself but on the fear characters experience as a result of transformations—of their bodies, minds, and environments. Why do we find so much discomfort when the ordinary is transformed into something unknown?‌ read more→ Not Optional: Why Latine Graphic Novels Belong in Middle School Collections Even in Restrictive Policy Environments By Karina Quilantan-Garza If you were to step into a national library conference or a children’s book festival today, you would notice a clear uptick in graphic-novel authors and illustrators. Kids enjoy reading graphic novels. They want to read them. Yet misconceptions persist about their value as legitimate reading material and learning resources. Latine graphic novels are not simply diverse titles within a larger category; they offer culturally and linguistically specific experiences that many students do not encounter elsewhere in the curriculum.‌ read more→ Promises and Paradoxes: Using Graphic Novels to Explore the Declaration of Independence’s 250th Anniversary By Julie Rick As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, educators have an opportunity to move beyond celebration and into critical inquiry. For many students, the document’s language feels distant and difficult to access. Graphic novels, which integrate visual storytelling with historical and personal narrative, make the Declaration’s ideas more immediate and open to analysis.‌ read more→ Small Comics Press Round Up By Sarah Hunter The availability and quality of graphic novels in the past decade or so have exploded, with a thrillingly wide range of books for every kind of reader. As larger publishers expand their graphic-novel lines, smaller independent publishers can get a bit lost in the shuffle, but it’s worth it to seek out their books. While they might have smaller print runs or publish fewer titles in a year, small, independent comics publishers often take chances on interesting, daring projects or promising new talent making their first forays into publishing. Here are a sampling of independent publishers offering unique, compelling graphic novels and manga that are ideal for patrons looking for reads off the beaten path.‌ read more→ State of Comics Librarianship: Growth, Recognition, and the Work Ahead By Shauntee Burns-Simpson Comics librarianship continues to evolve in exciting and necessary ways, reflecting broader shifts in how libraries serve their communities, elevate diverse voices, and embrace multiple literacies. What was once considered a niche format has firmly established itself as an essential component of library collections, programming, and engagement strategies across the country.‌ read more→ Sustainability and Comics: Showcasing How the World Works and What Happens When Things Break By Matthew Noe Comics excel at presenting dense, complex information in ways that readers without specialized knowledge can appreciate and understand—and issues related to sustainability and climate change are nothing if not complex. Historically, there have been few comics that directly address these issues. Or, if they did, it was mostly by framing someone like Poison Ivy as a crazed villain for daring to suggest protecting plant life. That isn’t to say there were no good climate comics, as the suggested classics below attest, but there was nothing like what we are seeing today.‌ read more→